Removable adaptor between well and pump outlet

ABSTRACT

In a well casing projecting from ground surface to water level and having a wall opening underground between the ground surface and the water level for association with a pump, an adaptor having an elbow port, for communication between an outlet port at the wall opening and a vertically depending inlet tube, is designed for expedient removal from and insertion into operative position. The arrangement includes a pintle on the outlet port affixed to the well casing at the wall opening and a link pivotally connected to the elbow adaptor, which cooperate to locate the elbow adaptor in operative communication with the outlet port when the adaptor is lowered into the well casing and to release the elbow adaptor from such operative communication simply by lifting.

[ 1 Oct. 1, 1974 Primary Examiner-James A. Leppink Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Morse, Altman, Oates & Bello [57] ABSTRACT In a well casing projecting from ground surface to water level and having a wall opening underground between the ground surface and the water level for association with a pump, an adaptor having an elbow port, for communication between an outlet port at the wall opening and a vertically depending inlet tube, is designed for expedient removal from and insertion into operative position. The arrangement includes a pintle on the outlet port affixed to the well casing at the wall opening and a link pivotally connected to the elbow adaptor, which cooperate to locate the elbow adaptor in operative communication with the outlet port when the adaptor is lowered into the well casing and to release the elbow adaptor from such operativ communication simply by lifting.

AND PUMP OUTLET [76] Inventor: Robert E. Prescott, Hampton Rd.,

Exeter, NH. 03833 Nov. 29, 1973 166/85, 166/88, 285/39 E2lb 23/00, E2lb 33/03 166/85, 88, 89; 285/18, 285/39, 140

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS United States Patent [191 Prescott REMOVABLE ADAPTOR BETWEEN WELL [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 420,020

[51] Int.

[58] Field of Search............

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures minnow 11w mamas arm a or 2 REMOVABLE ADAPTOR BETWEEN WELL AND PUMP OUTLET BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to wells of the type extending from ground surface to water level for supplying fresh water, typically for use in rural regions or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to water wells characterized by a well casing that extends downwardly to a water level and that is provided at a location beneath the groundsurface with a wall opening, through which water may be conveyed from the well by a suitable pump internally or externally of the well casing.

2. Background of the Invention In a typical water well, a well casing extends from a location at or close to ground level downardly to bed rock, the well casing having an elbow adaptor that communicates with a removable pump inside the well casing and that communicates with a fixed outlet port attached to the well casing at a hole cut in the well casing wall. In this structure typically, the elbow adaptor communicates with the outlet port along a horizontal axis and communicates with a depending inlet tube along a vertical axis. It is often necessary to remove the elbow adaptor from the well casing in order to permit examination and repair of the pump and its accessories. Problems have been encountered in providing accessibility to the region of the well casing wall opening and to the associated elbow adaptor, which often is difficult to detach from the outlet port after several years of use without attention. Such difiiculties arise because present equipment available for this function incorporates sliding, tapering or inserted junctions, which after a period of years is difficult if not impossible to loosen and separate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide, in association with a well casing projecting from the ground level above to water level below and having a wall opening therebetween, an assemblage comprising an outlet port and a pintle affixed to the well casing at the wall opening and an elbow adaptor having a pivotal link that cooperates with the pintle to predeterminedly locate the elbow adaptor in operative position at the outlet port within the well casing. The elbow adaptor has an elbow port that communicates between the outlet port and an inlet tube extending downwardly into the water level. The pivotable link on the elbow adaptor serves to catch the pintle which extends upwardly from the vicinity of the outlet port, in such a way as to locate the horizontal opening of the elbow port in communication with the horizontal opening of the outlet port. The operation results from forces exerted by the weight of the pump and inlet tube with respect to a fixed pivot point established by the pintle for the link bight and a movable pivot point established on the adaptor for the link legs. The arrangement is such that the elbow port of the elbow adaptor hermetically communicates with the outlet port closure surface when the elbow adpator is in operative position and such that the elbow adaptormay be removed from or inserted into the well casing simply by lifting or lowering the elbow adaptor respectively upwardly or downwardly through the well casing. The present invention thus is character ized by an easily separable, palm type closure which obviates the need for the difficultly separable, close tolerance junctions of the prior art. 1

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the assemblage, together with its components and their interrelationships, which are exemplified :in the accompanying disclousre, the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of a typical system embodying an assemblage of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the system of FIG. 1, in operation;

FIG. 3 is a detail side elevation, partly broken away, of an assemblage of the present invention, shown within a well casing in operative condition;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the assemblage of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail side elevation. partly broken away, of an alternative assemblage embodying the present invention; v M

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the asemblage of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of a component of the assemblage of FIG. 5, enlarged for clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFFERED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a typical water well comprising a well casing 20 in the form of a cylindrical tube which projects from above ground surface 22 downwardly to a water level below the ground surface. Inside well casing 20 is an elbow adaptor 26, which communicates between vertically depending tubular, water inlet pipe 28 and outlet port to which outlet pipe 30 is attached. Inlet pipe 28 projects below the water level and communicates with an electrically powered pump having a pump section 32, a strainer section 34, and a motor section 36, that is located in the well below the water level. Outlet pipe 30 communicates with a conventional storage tank. In an alternative arrangement, pump 32 is eliminated so that only tube 28 extends below water level and a suction pump is located externally of the well casing in communication with outlet pipe 30. In this case, outlet pipe 30 becomes a suction line communicating with elbow adaptor 26 inside the well casing. In the illustrated embodiment, however, elbow adaptor 26, together with the, pump and inlet pipe, is either lowered into position or raised from operative position within well casing 20 by a rod 50 and is locked into or released from operative position by a wedge rod 52. Both rods are removed from well casing 20 when the elbow adaptor is operational, in which circumstance well casing 20 is covered by a cap 54.

As shown in FIG. 3, well casing 20 is provided with a wall opening 56 through which outlet port .60 extends. Threaded portion 58 extends outwardly from outlet port 60, to which it is attached. Outlet port 60 has vertical edges 62, 64, which abut against the inner periphery of well casing 20. Through the center of outlet port 60 is an opening 68, with which the elbow opening of an elbow port 92 communicates. Elbow port 92 constitutes a part of elbow adaptor 26. Extending upwardly and centrally from the upper edge of outlet port 60 is a pintle or catch 72. Pintle 72 has an upper point portion 74 that tapers upwardly and inwardly and a lower body portion 76 that has a pair of vertical edges 78, 80. Outlet port 60 is locked in position by a nut 88 that is seated against the flat face of a washer 82. Washer 82 is shaped to snugly abut against well casing 20 at the edges of washer 82, one of which is shown at 84. An O-ring 86 is gripped between washer 82 and well casing 20 to establish a water seal. Washer 82 is locked into position by a nut 88, the internal opening of which is turned onto the externally threaded periphery of outlet port portion 58.

Removably connected to outlet port 60 is elbow adaptor 26, which has been stated to include elbow port 92. The horizontal opening or exit of elbow port 92 extends along a horizontal axis 94 in communication with opening 68 of outlet port 60. The vertical opening or entrance of elbow port 92 extends along a vertical axis 96 into communication with a vertical tube, which v is shown in FIG. 1 at 28. The vertical opening along axis 96 is internally threaded to receive the externally threaded upper extremity of vertical tube 28. Pivoted to elbow adaptor 26 is a link 98. Link 98 has a pair of arms 100, 102, which are pivoted about a screw pin 104. Screw pin 104 extends along a horizontal axis 105 through anopening 106 in elbow adaptor 26, being secured by a screw thread fit. Link 98 overlaps pintle 72 in such a way as to be caught with the horizontal axis of its bight 110 at a pivot point 108. When bightll has been caught on pintle 72 and adaptor 26 has been allowed to move into its lowermost natural position in consequence of the movement of link 98 about pivot points 105, 108, the horizontal opening of the elbow adaptor becomes precisely aligned with opening 68 of outlet port 60. An O-ring 112 between the elbow adaptor and the outlet port establishes a hermetic seal. A foot 114 extending forwardly and horizontally from the lower extremity of adaptor 26 abuts against a corresponding foot 116 of outlet port 60 to ensure correct and snug alignement of the contiguous faces. It is to be noted that a horizontal load is applied at a saddle 118 by a wedge fitting arrangement as follows. Saddle 118 extends rearwardly and horizontally from elbow adaptor 26 at an elevational position between foot 114 and pivot point 105. Saddle 118 has a concave extremity for receiving a wedge rod 120 between it and well casing 20. When wedge rod 120 is in position, elbow adaptor 26 is locked in operative position and compression of O-ring 112 is assured.

OPERATION In operation, elbow adaptor 26, with the pump and inlet pipe attached, may be removed from the well casing for examination and repair simply by turning the lower threaded extremity of rod 50 into a threaded bore 122 in elbow adaptor 26 and by turning the lower threaded extremity of rod 52 into a threaded bore 124 of an adaptor 126 that is attached to wedge rod 120. When wedge rod 120 is removed, elbow adaptor 26 is free for immediate removal. Both operations are effected simply by lifting rods 52, 50 out of well casing 20. Following repair or replacement, elbow adaptor 26 is re-inserted via rod 50 into the well casing in such a way that link 98 catches pintle 72. In consequence, the adaptor falls into operative position for communication between elbow adaptor 26 and outlet port 60. Thereafter, elbow adaptor 26 is locked into position against outlet port by wedge rod 120. The whole operation automatically is effected by link 98, which naturally centers the elbow adaptor by operation first of bight which catches the pintle and by operation thereafter of arms 100, 102 which abut against the vertical sides 78 and 80 of the body of the pintle, thus preventing misalignment by pendulum action of the elbow adaptor about the pintle bight.

AN ALTERNATIVE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A modification of the device of FIGS. 1 to 4 is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 in association with a well casing 121. Well casing 121 is provided with a wall opening 156 through which an outlet port 160 extends. Threaded portion 158 extends outwardly from outlet port 160, the vertical edges 162, 164 of which abut against the inner periphery of well casing 121. Through the center of outlet port 160 are a pair of openings 170, 171, with which corresponding openings of an elbow adaptor 190 communicate. Extending upwardly and centrally from the upper edge of outlet port 160 is a pintle or catch 172. Pintle 172 has an upper point portion 174 that tapers upwardly and inwardly and a lower body portion 176 that has a pair of vertical edges 178, 180. Outlet port 160 is locked in position by a nut 188 and a washer 182, which is shaped to snugly abut against well casing at the edges of the washer, one of which is shown at 184. An O-ring l86 is gripped between washer 182 and well casing 121 to establish a water seal. Washer 182 is locked into positon by a nut 188, the internal opening of which is turned onto threaded portion 158.

Removably connected to outlet port is an elbow adaptor 190, which has a pair of elbow ports 192, 193. Elbow ports 192, 193 constitute parts of elbow adaptor 190. The horizontal openings or exits of elbow ports 192, 193 extend along a horizontal axis 194 in communication with openings 168, 169 of outlet port 160. The vertical openings or entrances 196, 197 of elbow ports 192, 193 extend along the vertical axis 195 of well casing 120 into communication with a pair of vertical inlet tubes. Openings 196, 197 are internally threaded to receive the externally threaded upper extremitites of the vertical inlet tubes. Pivoted to elbow adaptor is a link 198. Link 198 has a pair of arms 200, 202, which are pivoted about a screw pin 204. Screw pin 204 extends along a horizontal axis 205 through an opening 206 in elbow adaptor 190, being secured by friction screw fit. Link 198 overlaps pintle 172 in such a way as to be caught with the horizontal axis of its bight at a pivot point 208. When bight 210 has been caught on pintle 172 and adaptor 190 has been allowed to move into its lowermost natural position in consequence of the movement of link 198 about pivot points 205, 208, horizontal openings 168, 169 become precisely aligned with openings 170, 171 of outlet port 160 An O-ring 212 between the elbow adaptor and the outlet port establishes a hermetic seal. A foot 214 extending forwardly and horizontally from the lower exremity of elbow adaptor 190 abuts against a corresponding surface 216 of outlet port 160 to ensure correct and snug alignment of the contiguous faces under horizontal load. A saddle 218 extends rearwardly and horizontally from elbow adaptor 190 at an elevational position be tween foot 214 and pivot point 205. Saddle 218 has a concave extremity for receiving a wedge rod 220 between it and well casing 121. When wedge rod 220 is in position, elbow adaptor 190 is locked in operative position. The operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 7 is analogous to the operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4.

Since certain changes may be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings or described in the foregoing specification be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A construction for use in a well casing having an opening through a wall thereof, said construction comprising an outlet port connected to said well casing, at

said wall opening said outlet port having at least an opening therethrough communicating with said wall opening and a pintle extending upwardly therefrom, an elbow adaptor having at least an L-shaped opening, said elbow adaptor including a link pivoted thereto, said link having a bight that is adapted to catch said pintle on said outlet port and having a pair of arms that are adpated to straddle said pintle in order to position said elbow adaptor within said well casing with said opening of said elbow adaptor communicating with said opening of said outlet port, said elbow adaptor having rearward abutment means and forward abutment means for limiting rotational movement of said elbow adaptor.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said forward abutment means includes a sealing surface.

3. The construction of claim 1 wherein said rearward abutment means includes a wedge means.

4. A construction for use in a well casing having a wall opening said construction comprising an outlet port having a threaded portion having at least an opening extending through said wall outlet and being secured thereto, a pintle extending upwardly from said outlet port and being secured thereto, an elbow adaptor having at least an L'shaped opening, said elbow adaptor including a link pivoted thereto, said link having a bight that is adapted to catch said pintle on said outlet port and having pair of arms that are adapted to straddle said pintle in order to position said elbow adaptor within said well casing with said opening of said elbow adaptor communicating with said opening of said outlet port, said elbow adaptor having a rearwardly extending leg, a lock wedge being adapted for insertion between said rearwardly extending leg and the inner periphery of said well casing, an inlet pipe depending from said elbow adaptor with the opening of said pipe in communication with the opening of said elbow adaptor, and means for connecting a first rod to said lock wedge and a second rod to said elbow adaptor in order to vertically remove or to vertically insert said lock rod and said elbow adaptor from or into said well casing.

5. The construction of claim'4 wherein said means includes an upwardly directed internally threaded bore in said elbow adaptor.

6. The construction of claim 4 wherein said bight contacts said pintle at a first pivot point and said legs pivot with respect to the remainder of said elbow adaptor about a second pivot point.

7. The construction of claim 4 wherein said rearwardly extending leg present a concave face.

8. The construction of claim 4 wherein the axis of said bight and the axis of the pivot of said link are displaced so as to cause said elbow adaptor to bear against said bed of outlet port.

9. The construction of claim 1 wherein said elbow adaptor has one conduit.

10. The construction of claim 2 wherein said elbow adaptor has two conduits. 

1. A construction for use in a well casing having an opening through a wall thereof, said construction comprising an outlet port connected to said well casing, at said wall opening said outlet port having at least an opening therethrough communicating with said wall opening and a pintle extending upwardly therefrom, an elbow adaptor having at least an L-shaped opening, said elbow adaptor including a link pivoted thereto, said link having a bight that is adapted to catch said pintle on said outlet port and having a pair of arms that are adpated to straddle said pintle in order to position said elbow adaptor within said well casiNg with said opening of said elbow adaptor communicating with said opening of said outlet port, said elbow adaptor having rearward abutment means and forward abutment means for limiting rotational movement of said elbow adaptor.
 2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said forward abutment means includes a sealing surface.
 3. The construction of claim 1 wherein said rearward abutment means includes a wedge means.
 4. A construction for use in a well casing having a wall opening said construction comprising an outlet port having a threaded portion having at least an opening extending through said wall outlet and being secured thereto, a pintle extending upwardly from said outlet port and being secured thereto, an elbow adaptor having at least an L-shaped opening, said elbow adaptor including a link pivoted thereto, said link having a bight that is adapted to catch said pintle on said outlet port and having pair of arms that are adapted to straddle said pintle in order to position said elbow adaptor within said well casing with said opening of said elbow adaptor communicating with said opening of said outlet port, said elbow adaptor having a rearwardly extending leg, a lock wedge being adapted for insertion between said rearwardly extending leg and the inner periphery of said well casing, an inlet pipe depending from said elbow adaptor with the opening of said pipe in communication with the opening of said elbow adaptor, and means for connecting a first rod to said lock wedge and a second rod to said elbow adaptor in order to vertically remove or to vertically insert said lock rod and said elbow adaptor from or into said well casing.
 5. The construction of claim 4 wherein said means includes an upwardly directed internally threaded bore in said elbow adaptor.
 6. The construction of claim 4 wherein said bight contacts said pintle at a first pivot point and said legs pivot with respect to the remainder of said elbow adaptor about a second pivot point.
 7. The construction of claim 4 wherein said rearwardly extending leg present a concave face.
 8. The construction of claim 4 wherein the axis of said bight and the axis of the pivot of said link are displaced so as to cause said elbow adaptor to bear against said bed of outlet port.
 9. The construction of claim 1 wherein said elbow adaptor has one conduit.
 10. The construction of claim 2 wherein said elbow adaptor has two conduits. 